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Unlike other locked-out NHLers, boredom is never an issue for Zenon Konopka.

Since becoming a teenaged bar owner while captain of the 67’s, he has maintained his many business interests. Konopka’s current ventures include his own wine label (ZK28), a wine aerator (Vin-Aire) and different supplement lines.

Pure press Grapeseed Oil, as of the last month or so, is available in your local grocery store. Yes, the farm boy from Niagara-on-the-Lake has gone Farm Boy.

“It’s big for me because I have tremendous respect for that company,” Konopka, who is also doing some consulting work, said while shooting a commercial for a vitamin product Thursday in Toronto. “When I was in Ottawa, I shopped there; I realized that they care about quality and they care about the consumer. So it was kind of first on our list of (stores) we wanted to go after because they have such a reputable name.”

Meanwhile, the 31-year-old centre is also not ready to throw himself head-on into an after-hockey career either. So like other NHLers, he is casting an eye towards opportunities overseas.

Konopka, who signed a two-year, $1.85-million deal with the free-spending Minnesota Wild in the summer, is looking at “different countries” right now. Upon further probing, he says he’ll likely wind up either in Poland or Russia.

“We’ve been talking with a KHL team the last week or so,” he said. “As of right now I’m getting closer and closer to signing that deal.”

Now, Konopka would seem to fit the European style of play like a long-bladed snow shovel goes into a small, round bucket of salt.

In 250 NHL games, he has amassed 877 penalty minutes, including league-leading totals in 2009-10 (265 with the Lightning) and 2010-11 (307 with the Islanders). He dropped to third on the list last season, racking up 193 with the Senators, but that was in just 55 games.

He’s also been one of the NHL’s most frequent fighters the last three years, dropping the gloves a total of 80 times.

But while others here have knocked his skating, Konopka does not believe he’ll be like a fish out of ice water on the larger rink across the continent.

“In the Russian league now they’re starting to realize the best players need to be taken care of,” he said. “They’ve made a big push the last few years to get a little more physical in Russia.”

Making the jump over the Atlantic now doesn’t mean Konopka has resigned himself to the fact this NHL season will be wiped out.

He pointed out that “things can happen in a hurry” with negotiations for a new CBA and said he’s staying positive the two sides will strike a deal. He also clarified the ’PA’s most recent move.

“Our vote wasn’t for filing for the disclaimer (of interest),” said Konopka, referring to a move that could push the matter to a courtroom. “The vote was to give the negotiation committee the power to pull the trigger if they feel it’s needed. Those are the guys that have the most knowledge of what’s going on in the negotiations. I voted yes, because they should have the power to invoke that, if they’re going to do it. We haven’t done anything yet. It’s just giving them the option.

“I think it helps things because it was clearly stated that a lot of players have faith in the committee and in (executive director Don) Fehr. That’s a positive. Hopefully it will help lead to a resolution sooner than later.”

As both a player and an entrepreneur, Konopka knows the lockout is “terrible for business.”

“I don’t agree with the owners, but I understand some of their views,” he said. “The reality of the matter is these 30 NHL owners are successful in business before getting involved with us, or they wouldn’t have the bankroll to buy a team. These guys are obviously very highly intelligent businesspeople that know what they’re doing. So it’s something that eventually, hopefully, common sense will come to the forefront.”

Former Ottawa Senator and budding entrepreneur Zenon Konopka has no trouble keeping busy during NHL lockout

Unlike other locked-out NHLers, boredom is never an issue for Zenon Konopka.

Since becoming a teenaged bar owner while captain of the 67’s, he has maintained his many business interests. Konopka’s current ventures include his own wine label (ZK28), a wine aerator (Vin-Aire) and different supplement lines.

Pure press Grapeseed Oil, as of the last month or so, is available in your local grocery store. Yes, the farm boy from Niagara-on-the-Lake has gone Farm Boy.